Federal Officials Refer Minnesota to DOJ for Allowing Boys in Girls’ Sports

State education leaders refused to consider a voluntary agreement or negotiate with federal officials, the Education Department said.

People take part in a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court as justices hear arguments in two cases in which states have banned males from participating in female-only sports, in Washington on Jan. 13, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

Federal officials have referred Minnesota to the Justice Department (DOJ) over alleged civil rights violations stemming from the state’s refusal to halt male participation in female sports.

The referral came from the Education Department (ED) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which concluded in September that the state violated Title IX’s prohibition on sex-based discrimination in federally funded education.

In a news release on Monday, Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused state officials of failing to uphold federal law.

“Despite repeated opportunities to comply with Title IX, Minnesota has chosen defiance—continuing to jeopardize the safety of women and girls, deny them fair competition, and erode their right to equal access in educational programs and activities,” McMahon said. “The Trump Administration will not stop until accountability is delivered for Minnesota’s students.”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said the federal government “will not look the other way” on this matter.

“When states allow males to compete in girls’ sports, they deny young women and girls the protections the law guarantees,” he said in the release.

The referral came amid escalating tensions between the Minnesota officials and the Trump administration, which has taken a number of recent executive actions in response to concerns about the fraudulent use of federal money in the state.

“Today’s letter notifies Minnesota that ED and HHS will refer the matter to DOJ for proceedings, which could result in termination of Minnesota’s Federal funding from ED and HHS,” the news release states.

Last year, an investigation by the administration determined that Minnesota’s education department and its official high school athletic league violated Title IX by allowing males to both compete in multiple female sports programs and occupy female-only bathrooms and locker rooms as well.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota High School State League for comment.

A proposed resolution agreement was provided to the state agencies to voluntarily resolve this issue, but the state agencies initially ignored the request and later announced that they would not accept the resolution agreement or engage in negotiations, McMahon said in the news release.

The investigations, which were opened in June, determined that a biological male had competed on the Champlin High School girls’ varsity fastpitch softball team since 2023, leading the squad to a winning record against all-girl opponents all three seasons. It also found that other districts had male athletes competing on girls’ lacrosse, volleyball, track and field, and ski (alpine and Nordic) teams.

According to a “toolkit“ on the Minnesota Department of Education website, “Title IX requires schools provide transgender students with the right to participate in such activities, including athletics, in a manner consistent with their gender identity.”

“The Minnesota State High School League allows participation for all students regardless of their gender identity or expression in an environment free from discrimination with an equal opportunity for participation in athletics and fine arts,” the document says.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments from state leaders in West Virginia and Idaho asking justices to uphold their state laws preventing males from participating in female sports.